


'Gami'Tine

by littlekittykanny



Category: Constantine (Comic), Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, F/M, John does have a heart but its buried where the demons can't get it, John is also trying his best, Kagami is so tired and trying her best, Longg does not like John, This is starting off Constagami, because Dick Grayson woke up and chose violence, but at least you get to hand out with a hot magician??????, but he's slightly more afraid because his track record with kids ain't fabulous, but they like each other, not quite in a relationship yet, they manage, two disasters trying to keep one smol girl alive, why Constantine and Kagami?, your best friend turning into a child may be inconvienent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28475277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlekittykanny/pseuds/littlekittykanny
Summary: “Four?! Bats, I think you’re out of your goddamn belfry! I can’t take care of a four-year old!”“Which is why you won’t be alone. One of her teammates, Ryuuko, will be joining you. It appears she hasn’t entirely lost all of her memories, so she’s currently clinging onto Ryuuko and refuses to go to anyone else. Your main job here is to make sure no one takes her, understand?”Constantine felt his eye begin to twitch when a feminine voice came from the entrance to his apartment.------Marinette is turned into a four-year old by those who wish to possess the Miraculous.Constantine did not sign up for babysitting.Kagami is just trying her hardest to keep it together.
Relationships: Constagami, John Constantine/Kagami Tsurugi, background/hinted Dick Grayson/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	'Gami'Tine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EthelPhantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthelPhantom/gifts).



> Happy New Years, Ethel!!!!! I am your Secret New Years Gift person!!!! I hope you enjoy!!!!

“I get that you blokes are busy, but may I ask why the  _ bloody hell _ I am being assigned to this mission?”

A disheveled blond man stood in the doorway of his apartment, staring into the cowl of Gotham’s most formidable hero and Justice League founder. His blue eyes didn’t waver for a second. His eyebrow was lifted in a questioning manner, his strong jaw fixed into a grimace as he continued to stare at the other unrelenting man. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, his shirt barely buttoned.

“Because we need you to,” was the answer he got.

The man gestured to the inside of his apartment before saying, “I think I am the  _ least _ qualified to help you there, mate. Can’t you ask one of your kids?”

This got Batman to grimace as he noted the disarrayed state of the other man’s apartment. Old takeout boxes were strewn across the countertops as well as old dishes. The man’s laundry was thrown about, making it hard for the Gothamite to tell what was clean and what wasn’t. He also had to fight back a wince at the smell considering it  _ reeked _ of cigarette smoke.

The only thing that seemed to be in some order were his mystical items and other magic materials.

The Bat grimaced as he barged into the apartment, throwing open the windows and glaring at the blond. The blond threw his hands up in the air before snapping, “Doesn’t the Fine Piece of Arse you patrol with like kids? What’s his fuck— oh! Nightwing, have you asked him?”

“One, don’t  _ ever _ refer to my son as a fine piece of ass again, Constantine, or I’ll put you in a full body cast. Two, I currently have to  _ stop _ said son from committing acts of terrorism, so he’s not available. Three, and trust me on this, you were my  _ absolute _ last choice for this,” Batman snarled, turning on the blond. “We need a magician. You’re it. Deal with it.”

John Constantine looked up at the ceiling and then down to the floor before groaning, “You’re all having a good laugh about this, aren’t you, you wankers. Why do you need a magician to watch a  _ child? _ ”

“She’s not just any child. She’s the Guardian of the Miraculous.”

This made the man pause, no longer even caring that the Dark Knight was currently cleaning up the garbage around his apartment.

The Miraculous?

Constantine hadn’t heard of them in a  _ long _ while.

During his studies into the arcane, he’d come across tales of the Miraculous. They were said to be magical jewels created to tether the embodiments of certain abstract concepts to the physical world. There wasn’t much written about them due to the fact that the miraculous were fiercely guarded by their temples and by the people chosen to protect them. A lot of books were also written in a mysterious code that no one could read, as the last known temple (that Constantine was aware of) was destroyed by some kind of monster. 

This led to most of the knowledge on the Miraculous to be based on myth or theories derived from pieces written by multiple cultures about the heroes they created.

The embodiments in the jewels were called Kwamis and were basically like tiny Gods if Constantine understood correctly. It was theorized that they had existed longer than humanity, but the jewels were needed for them to be able to interact with the human world. When someone wore a miraculous, this Kwami was able to grant the user some kind of power that historically seemed to be used for the greater good.

Constantine knew that there were several beings in this world (and others) who would love to possess the Miraculous (if they were real). He knew those beings would do whatever it took to get their hands on them as well. They were powerful and dangerous magical artifacts, and he couldn’t help but wonder who the  _ fuck _ thought it was a good idea to hand them to a literal child?!

“She isn’t actually a child, Constantine,” Batman began, as if he’d been reading Constantine’s mind. “Marinette is a grown woman. The problem is that during one of her last missions, she was hit with a spell that de-aged her to about four years old. We figure that the culprits probably thought it would be easier to get her to reveal the box in her younger form than it would be in her adult form. That’s why she needs to be hidden out of sight.”

“Four?! Bats, I think you’re out of your goddamn belfry! I can’t take care of a four-year old!”

“Which is why you won’t be alone. One of her teammates, Ryuuko, will be joining you. It appears she hasn’t entirely lost all of her memories, so she’s currently clinging onto Ryuuko and refuses to go to anyone else. Your main job here is to make sure no one takes her, understand?”

Constantine felt his eye begin to twitch when a feminine voice came from the entrance to his apartment.

“Batman? Are you already here?” the voice came out, slightly shaking. “It’s Ryuuko.”

He looked at Batman, who was continuing to clean up (now grabbing all the dirty dishes and putting them into the sink), before calling out that they were near the kitchenette area. He waited for Batman to talk to the newcomer, or at least introduce them, but was met with silence. He groaned, silently cursing that people thought  _ he _ was rude, before turning the corner to meet the stranger. Constantine loudly complained to Batman about how it was rude to keep the woman he’d invited over to  _ his _ apartment waiting, feeling his irritation rising.

He had some goddamn nerve just showing up at Constantine's apartment and  _ announcing _ that he was going to be responsible for babysitting a four-year old! He also had a lot of nerve to invite some strange woman over to his home! So what if she was going to help out with the kid? He didn’t want random strangers roaming about his apartment, and goddammit, the Bat of all people should be able to respect that!

Constantine  _ was  _ pissed until he set his eyes on the kid in question.

Gods above, were all four year olds that  _ small _ ?

Laying on the couch, wrapped up tightly in a shock blanket, was a little girl. She had short black hair that appeared to be in a bob haircut. From what he could see, her little face was bruised and there were several bandages upon her face and throat. The rest of her was wrapped up in the blanket, but he could tell with how hard she was gripping the blankets that she wasn’t at peace. Her little face was scrunched up in discomfort, mouth slightly agape as if she were trying to cry out in her sleep.

She was smaller than he could  _ ever _ remember Gemma being.

She was definitely smaller than Astra.

Gods above,  _ Astra _ .

He couldn’t tell anyone what had possessed him to scoop the child up into his arms, but he did. He held her close and rocked back on his heels as he tried to block out the screams of long dead friends and the disgusting wet sounds of  _ vomit. _ He tried to remember what Cheryl had told him about kids when she taught him how to hold Gemma, trying to stay grounded in the present.

Constantine could  _ feel _ the magic flowing through the child, the goodness and pureness gently helping to ground him as he remembered that Cheryl had taught him to hold Gemma close while she slept, that way she would know Uncle John was still there. He adjusted his hold on the little girl, cradling her close as he watched her little face relax. He continued to make a rocking motion, hoping the child would stay asleep.

He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding when she remained fast asleep.

“Okay, John...we can do this. We saved Gemma before she could get hurt...we can protect this one. It won’t be like Astra...there’s no demons this time. We’re here to make sure there are  _ no demons _ this time. She won’t be another Astra...she won’t,” he muttered to himself, feeling his anxiety go up the longer he stared at the little being in his arms.

He could feel the curse in her little body as well. The only thing keeping him from going nuclear was the fact that the spell seemed to be cast by an amatuer, and therefore, it was rather weak. If he were being honest with himself, he could probably find a way to lift the spell and return her to her proper age if he were given the chance.

A growl broke him out of his thoughts, his head whipping towards the new sound.

His thoughts fell silent upon gazing into eyes like molten  _ gold _ .

The woman standing before him was probably a good head shorter than him but that did not detract from the fierceness he could see in her eyes. Her hair was black like coal and hanging loose around her shoulders. Her mask covered the majority of her face, a crimson red with the eyes highlighted in black. Her outfit was armored in a way that reminded him of one of the Bats if not for the magic he could sense radiating off of it.

Her chestplate armor was the same crimson as her mask, with black striping along both sides, that pointed towards a circle in the middle of her chest. There were the elemental signs for water, lightning, and wind. The black band, which upon closer inspection looked like a dragon tail, trailed down her waist before wrapping around one leg. Her arms were all black aside from the crimson armor on her arms. Her cape had the same design as the one on her leg on the back of it, with black stripes with spines highlighted in yellow.

She also had a sword, which was currently drawn and pointed in his direction.

“Put Marinette down,” she said, her voice like ice.

The sound trickled down his back, causing him to shiver as he fought to remember where he’d heard that voice before.

“Ryuuko, stand down. That’s John Constantine, the magician I was telling you about. He’ll watch after you and Marinette until the spell wears off or we have a cure,” Batman interrupted, violently reminding Constantine of his presence. “Once I leave, you can drop your transformation. Constantine can be trusted with your identity. Revealing it will benefit him in no way, so you’ll be safe. Constantine, from what we’ve gathered, the spell should only last a few days, so hopefully she’ll be back to normal rather quickly.”

“Send me any information you have, mate,” Constantine said, trying to answer in his usual uninterested drawl. “Whoever did this is an amateur, so with a little bit of info, I should be able to fix ‘er up.”

He turned his attention back to Ryuuko before saying, “I’m not a complete arsehole, love. She was havin’ a nightmare, so I picked her up.”

Ryuuko lowered her sword only slightly before turning her attention to Batman.

“Are you certain—?”

“Ryuuko, he’s the only magic user available. Constantine has dealt with demons of all sorts before. He can handle himself against a couple of amateurs,” the Dark Knight sighed.

“It will be fine!” a new, higher pitched voice chimed in.

Constantine blinked slowly as a small...red...bug-thing(?) floated over to Ryuuko’s head. The creature had big dark blue eyes and a black dot in the middle of its forehead. It was smiling at the heroine, and Constantine could tell it radiated pure magic.

From what he could sense, this magic was more positive in nature and seemed to be grounded firmly in order. The little God flew over to Constantine before introducing herself as Tikki, the Kwami of Creation. She thanked Constantine for picking up and comforting her holder before giggling (GIGGLING) to Batman that he should really be on his way to stop Nightwing from tearing apart the one perp they’d managed to catch.

The Bat grumbled before leaving without another word as the small creature laughed.

“...what in blazes was that about?” Constantine grumbled, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Nightwing is… _ fond _ of Marinette. He wasn’t happy to hear she’d been incapacitated and nearly abducted,” Ryuuko answered, resheathing her sword.

“Ah, so that’s what the Bat was referring to when he said he had to stop him from committing acts of terrorism. What people will do for love...you don’t have to reveal your identity to me if you don’t want to by the way. Fuck what the tall, dark furry with daddy-issues said. This is my place, not his.”

Ryuuko seemed to relax a little at that but shook her head.

“It will do more damage to my Kwami if I try to keep a transformation indefinitely,” she responded.

A flash of light overtook her, and the next thing Constantine saw was a small, red, dragon-like creature as big as Tikki staring him in the face. The creature’s golden eyes were looking critically into his as if trying to stare into his very soul. The creature then huffed before crossing their arms and saying, “He’ll do. I can feel the wards up around the home, and they’re rather strong. He should be able to handle the little scoundrels.”

“Little scoundrels being you or whoever zapped the tot?” he snarked at the small creature. “What the bloody hell even are you?”

“I am Longg, Kwami of Perfection,” the dragon answered. “And I meant for the scoundrels who attacked our Guardian. You’ll be adequate to protect both my hatchling and the guardian.”

“Longg, be nice,” the woman sighed. “This is his apartment, and he didn’t ask for us to be here.”

Constantine took one look at her and nearly burst out laughing.

Of course it was  _ her _ .

Kagami Tsurugi...the absolute firecracker who decided trying to fend off the undead with a  _ sword _ was the best idea to save her friends.

Her eyes were darker now that she was out of her transformation, more of a dark coffee color than the gold they were before. However, her eyes still held that same sharpness and awareness that had not only helped her friends get to safety but had probably in the end saved their lives. Her hair was still the same coal black, hanging loosely over her shoulders. She was dressed in a white button up, a pencil skirt, and a black purse rested against her hip. She was wearing flats, not that he was surprised.

It wasn’t easy to run in heels, and if one didn’t  _ have to _ why would one choose to?

“I’m guessing you were going to work, Miss Tsurugi?”

Her eyes darkened as she went to demand to know how he knew her name. Constantine never let her finish, simply interrupting with, “At least there are no zombies this time, love. That should make this a lot simpler.”

Kagami’s eyes widened as her face began to turn red.

How could she have forgotten?!

Marinette almost had a  _ panic _ attack that day, thinking that Hawkmoth had somehow escaped prison and gotten his hands on Nooroo again when zombies seemed to be invading Paris. The Kwami had told them that, unfortunately, this was the work of someone else’s magic.

While the team was relieved it wasn’t Miraculous magic, they were also horrified to discover that there was someone else using magic in Paris. Marinette had nearly had another meltdown over trying to figure out whether or not the miraculous cure would work, given the damage wasn’t caused by another user. Kagami had simply taken up her sword, a katana which she’d gotten into the habit of carrying with her, and fought off the undead while her team was thinking of a plan.

That’s when she’d met the disheveled man in slacks and a tan trench coat. 

Kagami wasn’t sure what he’d done, as she couldn’t understand a damn word coming out of his mouth, but in the end, whatever he’d done had stopped the zombies. The people with him had raced around to assist the Parisian citizens, but this man had just fixed her with a broad grin and said, “I’d really hate to meet you in a dark alley, love. You certainly know what you’re doing with that.”

And then he was gone.

“You know, it’s rude to talk to a lady without introducing yourself,” she said, feeling herself relax a bit more. “Was that Latin?”

“In Paris? Yes,” Constantine grinned. “I know several other long-dead languages if that intrigues you, love. John Constantine, at your service.”

“How did you figure out my name?”

“Simple, I asked the nearest fellow who the lovely lady with the sword was. Your reputation as a fencer and a swordswoman precedes you, doll.”

Kagami looked as if she were going to snip back when soft whimpering drew their attention to the child still bundled up in Constantine’s arms. They watched as Marinette blearily rubbed her eyes. Her eyes, which Constantine could now see where a stormy blue-grey, darted up to his face, squinting for a moment, as if trying to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

“Hello, poppet, I’m—”

Constantine barely had time to blink as the child let out a screech of terror, pushing herself out of his arms. He felt his heart skip a beat until he realized that Kagami was right in front of him, quickly scooping up the falling child. He watched as she clumsily readjusted her grip on Marinette, making him grit his teeth a few times, until the little girl was securely attached to Kagami’s side.

“‘Gami! ‘Gami, who?” Marinette stuttered out, still shaking as she pointed to Constantine.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay Mari-hime,” the woman soothed, gently stroking the child’s hair. “This is Mister Constantine. He’s going to keep us safe from the bad guys, okay?”

He tried to ignore the sting of being rejected by the child by reminding himself that he was a stranger to Marinette. She had no reason, adult or child, to trust him. He was a stranger, and Kagami was her friend.

“Mari-hime, I think you hurt Mr. Constantine’s feelings. I think you should apologize,” Kagami said gently. “Were you having nightmares?”

“Bad people came back, ‘Gami,” Marinette sniffled, clinging to her tighter. “Took you ‘way.”

“Hey Mari, can I call you that?” Constantine asked, kneeling so that he was a little below eye level with her.

He waited for her to give him a shaky nod before continuing, smiling gently.

“As long as you're in here, the bad people can’t get you. I know magic too, Mari. That’s why you came to stay with me. I won’t let them take you or Kagami away, alright?”

Marinette’s teary eyes blinked a few times before she croaked, “‘Gami stay?”

“‘Gami stay. I won’t separate you two, I promise.”

Thankfully, this seemed to calm Marinette down. She wasn’t shaking as hard as she was before, and now she was gazing at Constantine with guarded curiosity. She looked over at the blanket he was still holding before making a shy grabby hand. To his credit, Constantine handed over the blanket to Marinette without a fuss, allowing the child to cling onto it once more.

Constantine stood upright before looking at Tikki.

“Can you use your powers outside of the Miraculous?” he asked slowly.

“...that depends—”

“Can you make food? Batman didn’t warn me ahead of time, knowing I’d tell him no, so I really don’t have a lot of food. I’m gone more often than I am home, so I don’t stock up on things, but the kid’s going to get hungry sooner or later, and I’d like to be able to feed her,” he sighed. “I’m not interested in anything more.”

“In a pinch I can, but that will use up my energy and then I’ll need food,” Tikki hummed.

Constantine nearly swore before remembering the small child currently staring at him. He remembered what Kagami had done to those zombies, and he was fairly certain she’d do that to him if he swore around little Marinette. He instead gestured to the couch, quickly grabbing some of his laundry off of it. He tossed the clothes to another corner of the room as Kagami took a seat, Marinette still wrapped up in her arms.

“Hey, I don’t really have any food,” he said. “You’re going to want to eat sooner or later, so what should I get? Don’t worry about being safe. I have wards up all around this place. If anyone or anything tries getting through, I’ll know. But I told Marinette I wasn’t going to separate the two of you, so it looks like I’ll be doing the grocery shopping.”

Kagami felt...stunned in a way as she struggled to answer his question.

This man...the same man who went charging into a zombie hoard with a devil-may-care attitude and eyes that spoke the end of anything who stood in his way...was offering to go grocery shopping? The man who made zombies fall to his feet and flirted with strange women...was trying to keep his word to the now four-year old? He wanted to know what  _ they _ wanted, and not just little Mari?

“Sandwich bread, butter, and jam for certain,” Kagami said slowly. “Marinette usually eats that given her busy schedule. Um...could I text you? It might be easier if I give you a list.”

“Whatever you say, doll. Just let me know if there’s anything the babby says she wants since I don’t think she’s going to talk to me,” Constantine shrugged, moving to grab his coat and put on his shoes.

Kagami didn’t say anything else, but she did toss her wallet at him. When the blond gave her a confused look, she raised her eyebrow and snarked, “Given your living conditions, I figured that you might need some money. Besides, it’s not fair for you to spend your money on us. You didn’t ask us to be here.”

Constantine bit back a snort before replying, “Cheeky, aren’t you, love? I’ll be back. Cheers, doll.”

The dark haired woman felt her cheeks get warm with the shit-eating grin he’d given her. As soon as he was out the door, Kagami took to fussing over Marinette to distract herself from her racing thoughts. She quickly re-wrapped her friend in the shock blanket before attempting to get comfortable on the couch.

It was old, and clearly not used very often aside from hanging his clothing on. His apartment also lacked the lived in feeling, seeming more like a place to crash and re-supply than anything else. She sighed before balling up some of the cleaner-looking clothing to make the couch more comfortable.

Once she’d managed to get comfortable, Kagami began to cuddle Marinette, trying to reassure her best friend that everything was going to be okay. She couldn’t help but share a concerned look with Tikki and Longg as Marinette began to cry again, clutching onto Kagami like she was the only thing that could keep her safe. She handed her phone to Tikki, quietly asking the Kwami to text Constantine what Marinette would want to eat.

Longg perched on their holder’s head, giving Kagami soft pats. The Dragon-Kwami knew how stressful this was for their hatchling as Kagami was an only child and had little experience with other children growing up. They were proud with how well Kagami was handling herself so far. They reassured her that as long as she was responsive to Marinette’s needs, then Marinette would be fine until they could return her to her proper age.

What Longg didn’t like was the way the strange magician looked at their chosen.

The man had seemed to be intrigued by their chosen from the second she walked into the room. They knew that their chosen was a brilliant woman, strong, fierce, and intelligent, and that she was not afraid to wield her sword in defense of her loved ones. She was a force to be reckoned with at her best and a natural disaster at her worst. She was perfection (as close as a human could come to at least) with a blade and a heart that was fuller than anyone expected of her.

The magician was intrigued by it. He’d seen Kagami use her blade to defend her friends before, but this was a new situation. He had seen a fierce but uncertain Kagami. He had seen a glimpse more into how much she loved her friend. He had also got more of an experience with her quick wit and intelligence. 

And Longg didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

————

When Constantine returned to his apartment, the mystery of Kagami Tsurugi deepened a little more.

She didn’t seem like the type to be able to relax easily. From what he’d learned, she was a warrior through and through. People said she was constantly on alert, and that it was difficult to surprise her. She also was a gifted swordswoman, based off of every fencing match he could find after becoming intrigued by the woman who fought zombies like they were no big deal. She seemed to always be on top of things, and her strength seemed to be present in her day to day life. She was not a woman who would be easily cowed or taken down.

Yet, when he had returned with groceries in hand, this was not the Kagami he found.

Instead of the dark haired woman tearing his apartment to pieces, trying to find everything and anything that could pose a threat to her or Marinette, he found her fast asleep on the couch.

She looked...smaller when she was asleep.

Kagami was not a tall woman, but the look in her eyes made her seem a lot bigger than she truly was. The sharp, calculating fierceness gave her presence more power and did not allow others in the room to forget her presence. Now that her eyes were shut, her features looked softer, even with her more angular face. She was also curled up, mostly to create a flesh barrier around the sleeping toddler. Her arm was curled around Marinette, who was re-wrapped tightly in the shock blanket.

It reminded Constantine a little bit of Cheryl…

His sister used to sleep like that when his niece was little. Cheryl would use her body like a shield, almost instinctively, keeping herself around Gemma. Gemma always slept peacefully when her mother was that close.

So had he when Cheryl had held him like that...back when they were just kids.

Constantine shook his head, returning his thoughts to putting the groceries away. 

He was just supposed to be protecting them. He would protect them. They would return Marinette to her right age, and then she and Kagami would leave him. The world would return to its correct state, and he would be alone...which was the way things  _ should _ be.

He couldn’t get caught up in the soft side of a very intriguing woman...he just couldn’t.

But Constantine’s traitorous mind couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have her hold onto him like she never wanted to let go.

———-

Kagami stirred when she scented food being made.

Thanks to Longg’s influence, her sense of smell was better than the average person’s. She could smell eggs and toast, and her hungry stomach forced her awake. The next thing she could sense was the radio, playing some pop song that she couldn’t quite hear. She tried pulling Marinette closer to her chest...only to realize she wasn’t there.

Kagami shot up, only to see Marinette sitting on top of a stack of books that had been put together to make a makeshift booster seat. The dark haired child was currently eating some toast with jam and butter. She seemed to be content, jam smeared across her little face. Her stormy eyes were locked onto someone, but she wasn’t talking to them.

Her dark eyes turned to look at the stove, only to see Constantine standing there. He had shed his coat again, dressed only in his button up and slacks. His sleeves were cuffed at his elbows, keeping them out of the pan where he was making eggs. His head tilted back every now and again to look at Marinette, a soft...almost fond smile on his face.

“Let me know if you want more, Mari,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re still hungry.”

Kagami felt a warmth bloom in her chest again as Marinette gave him a smile and nodded. She knew her best friend would warm up to their current protector, but it didn’t hurt that Constantine wasn’t...terrible with kids. He seemed a little uncomfortable, but overall, he seemed to be doing fairly well with Marinette considering she hadn’t started crying again.

“When did Mari-hime wake up?” she decided to ask, breaking the quiet spell that seemed to have been cast over the pair.

Constantine, to his credit, barely startled. He looked over to Kagami and gave her a grin before responding that the little one had woken up about a half an hour after he’d returned with the groceries. He then, proudly, told Kagami that he’d made her toast, and she hadn’t cried once, not even when she had to go sit at the table.

“You’re not half bad with kids,” the dark haired woman said absent-mindedly as she wetted a paper towel to wipe the jam off Marinette’s face. “I’m glad at least one of us is somewhat decent at dealing with kids. Do you have any?”

That made the blond stiffen for a moment before he shrugged.

“Not really the kid-having type, but my older sister has a daughter. I’ll stick to being an uncle...I think it suits me better. You’re not as bad as you think you are either,” he said. “You two asleep on the couch reminded me of my sister and her daughter when she was this small.”

Kagami shook her head before saying, “That was a fluke. I have no idea what I’m doing. To be honest, I’m probably not the mother-type at all. Even being an aunt would be a stretch for me...though I know Mari-hime would teach her children to call me ‘Aunt’ Kagami in a heartbeat.”

“I could see why. You’re clearly a good friend. Not just anyone would drop everything to take care of their now-toddler friend. I certainly wouldn’t.”

“Because you just said kids aren’t your thing...but you also instinctively picked up Marinette when she was having a nightmare, which means you aren’t a complete ass.”

“Doesn’t mean I want any or want to deal with any.”

“Never implied it did...I simply implied that you’re  _ better _ at it than you give yourself credit for.”

“Well so are you.”

“I should never be trusted with kids. I only agreed because this is Marinette, and I know she’d do the same if it were me.”

“ _ You _ shouldn’t be trusted with kids? You’re preaching to the choir—”

“‘Gami? ‘Tine? I go seep?” a quiet voice broke in. “Tired.”

Both Constantine and Kagami turned to look at Marinette, who gave them a yawn in return. The little girl’s eyes were drooping again, making both adults concerned. They knew babies slept a lot, but  _ four year olds _ ? This seemed off.

Constantine quickly plated the eggs before turning off the stove, ensuring nothing would burn. He went over to where Marinette was sitting before he knelt down to be more on her level. He had a theory about why she was so exhausted, but he needed more information before he’d consider it a strong one.

“Mari, how long have you had Tikki?” he asked softly.

“Sin’ I was thir’een,” Marinette slurred, trying to resist rubbing her jam-covered hands against her eyes.

“How old are you supposed to be?”

“Tw’n’y-five.”

Well shit...that would explain a thing or two.

“Mari, why don’t we get you cleaned up? You can sit on the couch with Kagami while I look for something.”

This made Kagami’s fierce stare return, her body posture changing rapidly.

“What exactly would that be?” she hissed, stepping closer to Marinette.

“A spell. I’m certain the reason Marinette is so exhausted is because her four-year old body is trying to contain  _ twelve years _ of built up magic,” Constantine sighed, rubbing his right temple. “The longer you’re exposed to the Miraculous, the more magic that builds up in your body, correct? Marinette’s adult body could handle the magic because it developed with her, but now that she’s in a younger body, it’s more challenging to deal with that level of magic flowing through her body.”

“Will it hurt her?”

“I don’t know, but I’d rather not find out by ignoring it. I’ll temporarily seal some of the magic in her body to make it more manageable for her. Once she’s back in her adult form, then I lift the spell.”

Kagami only folded when Tikki confirmed that Constantine’s theory was correct. Tikki told her that she didn’t know either what would happen if they allowed Marinette’s current level of magic to stay in the much smaller body, and she agreed that Constantine’s plan was probably the best option to go with.

“Are you  _ certain _ you can’t be trusted to deal with children?” Kagami snipped, trying to relieve some of her pent up anxiety.

“Are you sure you can’t, Mum? The turnabout you did when you thought I could  _ potentially _ harm Marinette would have startled a mother bear.”

“Well, I wasn’t the one who was proud they made  _ toast _ for a small child.”

“I wasn’t the one who curled up around Marinette like a mother cat to her kittens.”

“You—”

“Hey! Can we focus on Marinette please?!” Tikki interrupted. “You can have your lovers quarrel later, but Constantine is right. Marinette’s younger body isn’t dealing with the stress well!”

Kagami wet another paper towel and quickly wiped Marinette’s hands off. She then scooped up the little girl before turning her attention to Constantine.

“Find the spell.  _ Now _ .”

“Yes,  _ Mum _ .”

“Don’t you mum me, asshole! This is serious!”

“Oi, I know it is! Go sit down with her and keep her calm, why don’t you?”

“It’s not a lovers quarrel, Tikki!” Longg interjected, as he floated by Kagami’s head. “There’s no way that mess of a human is good enough for mine.”

“Longg! Be nice!” Kagami hissed. “Besides that’s not important right now. What’s important is Marinette.”

She chose to ignore her kwami’s protests as she returned to the couch, holding Marinette close. The little girl was shivering now, despite being wrapped up in a blanket, and it was starting to scare Kagami. She nearly shrieked at Constantine to hurry up when he reappeared, not even three minutes later with a book in hand.

“Okay Mari,” he murmured. “This might be a little scary, but it should make you feel better. Okay?”

Marinette nodded, trying to snuggle herself closer to Kagami for warmth. She was really  _ cold  _ for some reason—

Kagami listened as Constantine chanted quietly and watched the magic flow from his hands and into the toddler-sized body of her best friend. She had to fight every instinct in her body that was telling her to protect Marinette from him, quietly reminding herself that this was for  _ Marinette’s _ sake.

As his chanting drifted off, she noticed an almost immediate change in the little girl. Marinette’s eyes didn’t seem as glazed over as they were before. Her shivering had stopped as well as her attempts to get closer to Kagami than she already was. The girl blinked a few times before mumbling, “What happened, ‘Gami?”

Constantine flopped himself down next to Kagami, shoving the thought of the eggs he’d just made out of his mind. Tamping down her magic had been harder than he thought, and now he wanted a nap. Before he could do that though, his conscience demanded that he check in on her.

“Feeling less sleepy, Mari? I blocked off some of your magic so it wouldn’t overwhelm your body,” he explained.

Marinette nodded before giving him a broad grin.

“Thank you!” she chirped.

Constantine could see the look of  _ relief _ that passed through Kagami as Marinette smiled at him.

“That’s my Mari-hime!”

“Ah, so she’s always this chirpy?”

“Is there a problem with that?!”

He laughed before shaking his head.

“Not at all, love. Someone has to keep things interesting, don’t they? Feel free to eat those eggs, by the way. I’m tuckered out.”

Marinette’s bottom lip wobbled before she tearily apologized for making him tired. Normally, he would have rolled his eyes and sworn, but the glare from the dragon sitting behind the girl made him think twice. Her eyes were still narrowed on him, as if waiting for him to come out and say, “Surprise! I actually made her worse!”

Gods above, he was never going to get her to trust him, was he?

Little did he know that behind that fierce gaze was relief.

Because as long as he was there, things wouldn’t be a total disaster for Kagami…

Right?


End file.
